UNSCDF Ground Infantry Combat Uniform
The Ground Infantry Combat Uniform, abbreviated GICU, is the current battledress uniform of the United Nations Space Command Defence Force. It was first adopted exclusively by the UNSC Army in 2170 as a replacement for the older Army Combat/Working Uniform (ACWU), which had served as the primary battledress of the Army for the entirety of the . Positive reception of the uniform from attached airmen, sailors, and marines, however, coupled with the deep economic impacts of the Human Civil War and subsequent Human-Covenant War, eventually led to the universal adoption of the GICU by the UNSC Defence Force as its standard inter-service combat uniform in 2535. The unified Ground Infantry Combat Kit was subsequently devised in 2536 (before which the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force utilised different equipment), and standardised the combat utilities of infantry and other combat personnel from all branches of UNSC service. The full kit includes load bearing equipment and modular armour components, and has been continuously improved since introduction with the development of new materials and continuous combat testing. Combat Utilities The GICU is the standard field and working uniform in all branches of service of the UNSCDF, worn by soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines both deployed and in garrison. It is lightweight and protective, composed of interwoven nylon and aramid-based fibers coated with heat and energy reflective film. Electrically-stimulated nanites, water- and stress-proofed, are woven into the fabric of the uniform, allowing military personnel to change uniform camouflage patterns as deployment environments dictate for great flexibility of use. Jacket The fatigue jacket is worn over the upper torso, covering the upper groin, upper thighs, arms, and neck. It is fitted with four chest pockets and four shoulder pockets, each button fastened, with tabs, tapes, and patches attached to the uniform via hook-and-loop fasteners. Ballistic soft-armour panels may be inserted in pockets at the arms, forearms, and abdomen sides, providing personal protection from military-grade 10x21mm and rounds and supplementing armour coverage. Trousers GICU trousers are worn over the lower torso, covering the waist to the ankles. They possess two front slash pockets, four rear buttoned pockets, and two snap fastened cargo pockets along the outer side of each leg. Soft-armour inserts may be placed in the trousers at the calves, thighs, and groin. Headwear Permitted headwear in non-combat areas includes field caps, utility covers, boonie hats, and ushankas. Garrison covers and berets are worn during formal occasions. Ground Personnel Protective Armour System (GPPAS) The Ground Personnel Protective Armour System (GPPAS, pronounced "Jee-Pass") is the standard personal armour system utilised by UNSCDF personnel for combat protection, designed to be worn over typical GICU combat utilities. The full kit is composed of the APV, PAS, PIH/LPIH, and VZG7/VZG7-L armoured boots, though wear of partial kits is common practice due to the sheer weight of full kit. The APV, PIH, LPIH, and PAS plates are composed of hardened SCUTA composite, cored with NECTUS gel for dispersal of kinetic energy and heat. Each piece of armoured equipment is rated to withstand at least one impact from a 12.7x99mm round or low-medium strength plasma bolt. Armoured Protective Vest (APV) The Armoured Protective Vest (APV) is the primary component of the GPPAS, providing high-level protection from conventional firearms, explosives, shrapnel, and plasma weaponry across the front, back, and sides of the upper torso, and the neck. It is composed of a light ballistic "soft" vest, rated for protection against military-grade 10x21mm and rounds, and armoured over-plates, which when clipped at attachment points defend against rounds and plasma bolts. Personal Armour Supplements (PAS) Personal Armour Supplement plates provide kit modularity, allowing protection of different areas of the body as dictated by mission expectations. PAS plating includes cuisses, greaves, poleyns, couters, spaulders and vambraces. Surplus components, produced in bulk during the 2530s and '40s in expectation of large SPARTAN supersoldier turnouts, were also regularly recycled as PAS components and issued to frontline infantry units during the Human-Covenant War; such pieces of equipment were often prized among service personnel for high quality and durability. Headgear The and form the basis of GPPAS combat headgear for the UNSC Army and UNSC Marine Corps respectively. The LPIH weighs 1.5 kilograms with liner and shell, and the PIH, several centimetres thicker, weighs a full 2.0 kilograms with liner and shell. Both helmet variants extend protective cover over the brow, occiput, and ears, and possess mounting bracket rigs for tactical equipment. Mounted gear typically includes night vision devices, command network modules, AC4 helmet mounted displays, and other equipment. Additional features of the PIH and LPIH include rear straps to hold protective eyewear in place, an elastic helmet band for the carriage of small items and equipment, an integrated communications suite and headset, and a sling or pad suspension to fit the helmet to the wearer's head. Footwear UNSC Infantry Footwear is issued as part of the GPPAS Kit, and includes VZG7 armoured boots and lighter VZG7-L armoured boots, to be worn over standard "soft" service boots. Individual Load Bearing Equipment (ILBE) Individual Load Bearing Equipment (ILBE) is the designation for the current generation of tactical load-bearing equipment of the UNSC Defence Forces. It includes modular storage pouches, which can be clipped to GPPAS equipment via notched attachment points, a webbing-laddered rucksack, a tactical harness for wear over body armour, a lightweight hydration bladder, and an individual equipment belt, among other miscellaneous accessories for improved distribution of weight.